Tom Brady came to the sideline and twice slammed his helmet to the field. After two unsuccessful drives against the New Orleans Saints where Brady was under duress, the two-time NFL MVP let his struggling New England Patriots offensive line hear it.

The first week of the preseason matters to Brady. It should matter to you, too, as long as you don't get too carried away. There will be no screaming or slamming of heavy objects, but here are our big takeaways from Thursday's six games.

» Robert Griffin IIIlooked like he belonged. There wasn't anything flashy in his 4-of-6 passing, 70-yard, one-touchdown performance, but that's kind of the point. He stood tall in the pocket. He was protected well. He found secondary receivers. Griffin looked especially good in comparison to Rex Grossman's 2-of-10 performance.

» The Ravens' passing game reportedly has enjoyed a strong camp, but Baltimore gave the home faithful something to complain about with three straight three-and-outs to start their night. Joe Flacco stayed in against the Falcons' backups to get something positive going.

» The Julio Jonesbandwagon will get even more full after he caught six passes for 109 yards and one touchdown in limited action. Those aren't preseason numbers.

» Drew Brees went 1-of-4 passing for 4 yards. Keep that in mind the next time you rip a guy like Kevin Kolb for a miserable preseason outing. It happens in these shortened games.

» Patriots rookie pass rusher Chandler Jones made SaintsPro Bowl pick Jermon Bushrod look like a D-II prospect. Jones's big game didn't show up in the box score, but he forced two holdings, and pressures, and probably got all of New England very excited.

» Underrated Packers starting inside linebacker Desmond Bishop left the game with a knee injury and didn't return.

» We love it when guys who have made noise all offseason back up that performance. Antonio Gates looked like the Antonio Gates of old on a 23-yard touchdown. And Packers receiver Randall Cobb looked too good to keep off the field, leading the team in receiving.

» Peyton Manning had an encouraging performance, even if was only one long drive. He got great protection from his offensive line. He was hurried only one time (barely) in eight drop-backs and stepped up nicely in the pocket. His arm looked good.

His interception to end his drive was the result of two great defensive plays. Bears cornerback D.J. Moore dove to barely tip a pass that was slightly off-target. Safety Major Wright dove to catch the ball.

» Wright later left with a hamstring injury and didn't return.

» Broncos backup quarterback Caleb Hanie was soundly booed by Bears fans who not-so-fondly remembered his days in Chicago. Hanie struggled, but he was briefly a worldwide trending topic. So there's that.